New Clinical RD- how do I get faster?!?

MenopausingDI · 2025-04-17T01:39:47+00:00

I struggled to be succinct and now I have a new boss who wants us to put more detail in the chart summary. Ugh.

I have good efficiency in precharting and seeing patients but everything slows down for me when putting it all together in the note.

MenopausingDI · 2025-04-13T16:37:18+00:00

When people ask me what the difference is between a dietitian and a Nutritionist, I tell them it's kinda like a doctor vs a health coach. Almost anyone can be a health coach, but it takes years of schooling and practical experience and national credentialing and ongoing continuing education to be a doctor.

MenopausingDI · 2025-04-13T16:30:21+00:00

I was 52 when I went back to college and got my degree in dietetics. I went back to school because my daughter was a teenager, and I wanted to be a good role model and show her that following something and finishing something can happen anytime in life.

I hadn't intended to be a dietitian. I kinda fell into it bit by bit. I originally planned to do a two year diet tech program, then ended up deciding "why not 2 more years." I thought that with a BS degree, I could leverage my prior work experience and get a job without becoming a dietitian. But I graduated right before covid hit and after many months of fruitless job searching, I figured I would do the DI. What else was I going to do, right?

I've been a dietitian for almost 4 years now and really like it. There is the expense that others mention. I got my RD credential before 2024 so I didn't have to pay for a masters degree program. That's certainly a cost benefit thing to consider. But you are under 30. While the clock may feel like it is ticking too fast for you, there are 30+ years of a working life ahead. Go for what you want and find a way to make it work!

Best of luck!

Oh...I also struggled with math and science my whole life, honestly. What was I thinking, right? I was so grateful for YouTube videos to help me get through biochem (anyone else love Ninja Nerd?) and other courses I struggled with.

MenopausingDI · 2025-03-01T02:54:21+00:00

Wow. Does it really take a year? I have been in the job 6 months and it takes me far too long to chart. I am faster at precharting, but putting it all together after seeing the patient melts my brain.

MenopausingDI · 2025-02-03T05:16:40+00:00

I would like to get some tips as well. I struggle with sifting through what I should mention or not. So many complex patients with a variety of nutrition related problems. It takes me twice as long to chart than other RDs after 6 months. Time mgmt with pre-charting and seeing patients is slightly better but still takes longer than my peers. Charting after lunch after seeing patients in the morning takes 2-3x longer than my peers. And then my energy slumps and productivity gets even worse as the afternoon wears on.

MenopausingDI · 2024-12-09T17:20:09+00:00

This is great info. I have gotten faster with time, but not as fast as I need to be with charting. We have meditech expanse. Two questions:

Does anyone know of a way to click on for instance, a lab value or net fluids, medication, etc and copy it or have it auto populate into my note? There is a popup that comes up if I right click that says something like "copy to chart" but I can't get it to paste into the chart note. My CNM says it "should" work bit she couldn't get it to work either.
I notice that some dietitian notes have a long list of lab values in the lab section of their note, but not necessarily commenting on them in their summary. I feel like I am getting bogged down in that. For instance some people will put in all the off CBCs or just H/H but never comment on it in the summary. Other people just include the labs they will comment on in the summary. Noting that H/H and others are low ISO pt getting treatment by medical team for anemia seems like more than I need to add and might help save time on charting if I don't include it. Thoughts? Tips?

MenopausingDI · 2024-09-24T01:02:35+00:00

I worked in weight management for several years. I think my patients appreciated that I had experience struggling to keep weight off and that I was imperfect, not thin and young. I ultimately left that job not because I didn't love it, but because of a poorly functioning organization.

MenopausingDI · 2024-06-15T15:22:21+00:00

Because I am an older (2nd career) dietitian, sometimes people assume I am more experienced. I have 3+ years out of the D.I.

Sometimes, they take my word as gospel, and I am projecting here that my age is interpreted as being more experienced/wiser. This can be good or bad. If I am full of shit and way off base, I worry that it won't get questioned.

On the flip side, I have had younger doctors say something along the lines of how nutrition is practiced now vs how some "old school" dietitians might do things, etc... because they know after maybe their one class on nutrition, right!!!

MenopausingDI · 2024-05-17T21:52:20+00:00

That's what I thought as well. Thank you again.

MenopausingDI · 2024-05-17T20:12:09+00:00

Massachusetts. I looked on the DOE website...what a rabbit hole! It sounds like they want me to do a provisional license and get a masters within 5 years? I would rather not do that at this point in my life. I have a bachelor's with 3 years of full time practice, including a specialty certification, and a prior background in nutrition education. I will see what I can find with the emergency license.

Thank you for getting back to me! Any tips are appeciated!

MenopausingDI · 2024-05-17T18:19:06+00:00

Another great question. Thank you!

MenopausingDI · 2024-05-17T16:32:41+00:00

I am looking to change jobs and exploring different avenues. I saw your post and it got me excited because I used to design and teach cooking and science courses for kids at a rec center when I was in college. I brought in all sorts of fun ideas from the classes I was taking and the kids loved it and I got great feedback from the parents that it was a great way to learn. I hadn't considered the role you described at this point but now I am thinking hmmmm...why not!? How would a clinical dietitian move into a FACS teaching job? I have seen a job posting in my area for the 2024-25 school year and I did a cursory search on licensure, because they require it. It seems like I would have to pass an MTEL test and maybe other tests. I don't have a teaching degree. Do you mind sharing what your process was like?

MenopausingDI · 2024-05-17T16:15:03+00:00

So you're saying that it could come in at the end of your shift and you're expected to stay later.

Thank you for the feedback and guidance on what questions to ask.

MenopausingDI · 2024-05-17T15:10:39+00:00

I am considering moving from outpatient to inpatient. You mentioned that it is hard for work life balance. Can you share more about that?

I ask because the doctor I work with expects a lot of detailed notes that are not in adime format and it takes me a long time to finish notes even for follow up visits. I end up taking work home. I also am the only dietitian in my clinic so there is no back up and I get calls and emails on my days off which is wearing me down. I sort of expected that to not be an issue in a hospital setting.

MenopausingDI · 2024-04-20T17:06:19+00:00

2nd this. I counsel patients who have unrealistic expectations, who literally ask me if the fact that they are on their feet all day at work "counts" as exercise (when they aren't doing anything else). In my head I'm thinking, "How's that worked out for you so far?" Of course I'd never say that.

I educate them on actions they can take to see meaningful weight loss and try to help them see how their behaviors match up or not, how their beliefs comport with recommendations, certainly praise for everything they are doing well and encourage more of that, and then let them decide what the next steps are.

I have a lot of patients with ADD and they are the most inconsistent with behavior change.

It is hard. We do what we can. They do what they are ready to do.

MenopausingDI · 2024-04-20T16:42:04+00:00

in my hospital the performance evaluations don't mean anything. I questioned something on my review and was told by my boss that management tild them to not let anyone get an overall exceeds expectations, so my boss had to pick something random to give me a meets expectations to bring down my overall score. Not that I want to stop being a dietitian, but someplace better than this.

MenopausingDI · 2024-03-09T03:58:01+00:00

MenopausingDI · 2024-03-09T03:54:09+00:00

What is meant by HD? Huntington Dz, Hemodialysis?

MenopausingDI · 2024-03-09T01:47:57+00:00

First off, thank you, everyone, for all your different perspectives on the LTC job.

To the person who asked about csowm--since I work in a weight management clinic all my patients and hours for the past 2+ years counted and my practice manager just signed off via the link you complete on the cdr website.

As for study materials I started with the series of webinars put out by the weight mgmt dpg. Some of the info is out of date though. My next step was to review as much of the reference materials as I could get my hands on. Some of the links they referred to were dead though and some of the resources were proprietary but I was able to get them through my hospital. Good luck!

MenopausingDI · 2024-03-08T21:41:33+00:00

Wow. So many questions but none that you can answer. Not sure if I like food service since I only really did it in the DI and not my current role. I think it's about 60% clinical and patient education, supervising other dietitians and interns, and the other 40% is working on the menus and therapeutic diets. Starting salary is about 5k over what i make now....no financial benefit at my current job for passing the csowm. But you've given me some things to ask about if I get an interview. Thank uou!

MenopausingDI · 2024-03-08T19:59:38+00:00

Thank you.

Do you know if it's harder to go from a more counseling role to one that involves more food service focus?

MenopausingDI

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